Setting

Inspection report for early years provision

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EY253207 Unique Reference Number 30 January 2008 Inspection date Penny Wood Inspector

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Childcare Type of inspection Childminding Type of care

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This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000

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ABOUT THIS INSPECTION

The purpose of this inspection is to assure government, parents and the public of the quality of childcare and, if applicable, of nursery education. The inspection was carried out under Part XA Children Act 1989 as introduced by the Care Standards Act 2000 and, where nursery education is provided, under Schedule 26 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998. This report details the main strengths and any areas for improvement identified during the inspection. The judgements included in the report are made in relation to the outcomes for children set out in the Children Act 2004; the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding; and, where nursery education is provided, the Curriculum guidance for the foundation stage. The report includes information on any complaints about the childcare provision which Ofsted has received since the last inspection or registration or 1 April 2004 whichever is the later.

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The key inspection judgements and what they mean

Outstanding: this aspect of the provision is of exceptionally high quality Good: this aspect of the provision is strong Satisfactory: this aspect of the provision is sound Inadequate: this aspect of the provision is not good enough

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The key inspection judgements and what they mean

For more information about early years inspections, please see the booklet Are you ready for your inspection? which is available from Ofsted's website: www.ofsted.gov.uk.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE

The quality and standards of the care are good. The registered person meets the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The childminder was registered in 2003 and lives with her husband and three children aged between 10 and 15 years old in Banbury, Oxfordshire. The whole of the home is registered for childminding including an enclosed garden for outside play.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of six children under eight years old at any one time and she currently has three children on roll aged between 12 weeks and two years old. She is able to drive to local schools and pre-schools and attends a toddler group every week.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children enjoy opportunities to be physically active during visits to local play parks and opportunities to ride tricycles and play with balls on the patio outside. Regular exercise in the fresh air promotes children’s good health.

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Helping children to be healthy

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 Children are developing a good understanding of hygiene routines. They are encouraged to wipe their hands with baby wipes prior to eating in order to reduce the spread of germs, after which they enjoy showing the childminder their clean hands. Children are gaining their independence. They are confident in asking for a tissue when they need to blow their nose, with good attempts made at wiping, yet allowing the childminder to help when required.

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Helping children to be healthy

The childminder ensures she follows good hygiene routines to reduce the spread of infections. For example, she washes her hands after helping children to blow their noses and uses anti-bacterial gel on her hands to eliminate germs. The home and toys are clean, with cleaning routines in place throughout the year to ensure all areas and resources are suitable for children’s use.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children benefit from the childminder’s knowledge of first aid. She maintains a current first aid certificate, ensuring she is able to provide appropriate care in the event of a minor accident. However, she does not have written parental consent to seek further professional help in the event of a serious accident should she be unable to contact the parent. The sickness policy protects children from contagious illnesses, with exclusion times in place to reduce the passing of illness from one child to another. Accident and medication documents record the care children receive and are shared with parents informing them of events and action taken.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children receive appropriate quantities of refreshments during the day. When requested the childminder ensures children have breakfast, with an early lunch served prior to children having a sleep. Packed lunches are appropriately stored ensuring they remain fresh. Snacks of fruit or raisins provided after school ensure children do not become hungry before going home. Records of children’s allergies ensure children do not receive foods that are unsuitable for their individual dietary needs. Drinks are readily available, allowing children to see to their own needs when thirsty.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children enjoy access to all areas of the home allowing them room to play freely, with additional areas, such as the conservatory, used during the warmer months of the year. Prior to its use, the childminder ensures the conservatory is clean and suitable for children’s play. A good selection of toys is readily accessible to the children, all of which are checked for hazards in order to reduce any risk of harm.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Within the home good measures are in place to identify and reduce risk. For example, the home is secure and gates in the garden restrict children’s access to certain areas, with high locks preventing children from accessing the road. The childminder is vigilant in her monitoring of safety, she visually risk assesses the area and pre-empts possible hazards by initiating systems to reduce the risk of harm. Children benefit from the high levels of supervision during their play. She ensures children play safely, such as remaining seated whilst they complete activities.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

During outings children are developing their awareness of how to keep themselves safe, such as following road safety guidelines when crossing the road. Children benefit from the good understanding the childminder has of promoting their welfare and safety. She has systems in place to monitor concerns she may have regarding a child at risk of abuse, with information to refer to regarding the action to take. The childminder has a sound understanding of the referral procedure.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children are settled and at ease in the childminder’s care and happily play alongside each other. They are developing their social skills and enjoy visits to toddler groups where they are able to play with their peer group. Children willingly participate in a good range of activities which ensure they are occupied and busy at all times. When providing an activity, the childminder adds further resources as the activity progresses, extending children’s play and maintaining their interest for sustained periods of time. When playing with dough, the children show pleasure in their creations. Clear instructions, such as pushing harder with a rolling pin in order to flatten the dough encourage children to achieve their goal.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are beginning to grasp the concept of colour. When rummaging for crayons in a box the childminder talks to them about the varying colours and compares them to other objects, re-enforcing children’s learning and comprehension. For example, during the inspection the childminder compared a yellow crayon to a yellow cup. Children enjoy looking at books together. They are developing their emerging language skills through careful questioning techniques adopted by the childminder. The childminder introduces new words, such as crown and fairy, encouraging children to repeat the words and congratulating them on their efforts. Throughout the day, the consistent praise and encouragement offered by the childminder boosts children’s confidence and self-esteem.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. Children are beginning to develop an understanding of the wider world. They celebrate cultural festivals, such as Chinese New Year, and are building a natural awareness through play with an appropriate range of resources which depict positive images of diversity. The childminder ensures she is able to meet individual children’s needs through appropriate strategies, discussion with parents and the recording of specific needs, such as allergies.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children behave well. They are encouraged to say thank you when appropriate and take an active roll in routines such as tidying up. They are considerate towards each other, passing crayons and finding books to read together. The childminder is consistent in her management of behaviour, encouraging children to share and take turns, with behaviour plans shared with parents on how she manages issues when they arise.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children benefit from the partnership developed between the childminder and their parents. During initial meetings the childminder discusses her practice and routines. However, she does not provide parents with written information which they are able to reflect on at a later date, particularly regarding her policies, procedures and how parents may raise a concern with Ofsted should they feel unable to approach her directly. Daily discussions inform parents of the care their children receive and give rise to opportunities to discuss any concerns regarding a child’s development.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. The childminder meets the needs of the children for whom she provides. She is suitably qualified and has gained extensive experience whilst previously working as a nanny and during her time as a childminder. The childminder adopts an active approach to improving her provision. For

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Organisation

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 example, she subscribes to creative magazines in order to provide her with interesting ideas for topics and activities.

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Organisation

The childminder organises her home well, providing age appropriate equipment, such as small tables and chairs to enable children to freely access play opportunities at their own level. All regulatory documentation is in place with most containing appropriate detail. However, the registration system does not currently record extended family’s attendance in order to accurately record all the children she is responsible for at any one time. Documentation is available for inspection, stored securely and maintains confidentiality.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The childminder has made some improvement within her provision based on the recommendations that were raised at the last inspection. She was asked to ensure daily records of children's attendance are maintained which reflect children's times of arrival and departure and to make sure that low-level glass panels are safe or inaccessible. As a result the childminder has covered low-level glass with safety film to reduce the risk of harm to children and registers accurately record minded children's attendance. However, the childminder is required to include extended family within her registration system. As a result, this area continues to be an area for ongoing improvement.

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Complaints since the last inspection

Since the last inspection there have been no complaints made to Ofsted that required the provider or Ofsted to take any action in order to meet the National Standards. The provider is required to keep a record of complaints made by parents, which they can see on request. The complaints record may contain complaints other than those made to Ofsted.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE

The quality and standards of the care are good. The registered person meets the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding.

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The quality and standards of the care

To improve the quality and standards of care further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s): • put in place written parental consent for seeking emergency medical advice or treatment • develop systems for sharing information with parents regarding the policies, procedures and how parents may raise a concern with the regulator (Ofsted) • ensure registers contain details of all children present

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The quality and standards of the care

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 set out in the leaflet Complaints about Ofsted Early Years: concerns or complaints about Ofsted's role in regulating and inspecting childcare and early education (HMI ref no 2599) which is available from Ofsted's website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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The quality and standards of the care

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000

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